best value-for-money track day using other people's cars??!

best value-for-money track day using other people's cars??!

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daveknott5

Original Poster:

731 posts

218 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Hi guys, looking for recommendations on a proper track day where you get to properly drive other people's cars rather than my own! I have done one such day before with track club - but they seem to have gone bust......

It was £250 for the day and you got to drive a Clio 182, Caterham Roadsport and Lotus Elise around in 20 lap "sessions". They billed it as a "taster" day in the hope that you'd then sign up to become a fully paid up member.

Does anybody know of anything similar that's available now?

mmm-five

11,227 posts

283 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Bookatrack hire out their fleet for full days, and you can always split the cost between 2 or 3 drivers.

Last time I did it it was about £500 for the day (plus the cost of the event), and it's well worth it.

jonnyleroux

1,511 posts

259 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Track-Club haven't gone bust - but they have moved away from the membership-style business model and are concentrating on customer-owned cars for track+race now I think. That said, they still have a fleet of rental cars and we still work closely with them on our days and others.

As Tony mentioned, we have a fleet of 10 Caterham Superlights which we rent out for track days. These are race-spec cars, exactly as they sit on the grid for the R300 championship with no restrictions and not de-tuned in any way.

It's not a cheap day (you're looking at closer to £800 these days for a full day in one of our cars) but the car can be shared between 2 or 3 drivers and offers exceptional value for money compared with similar services available elsewhere. It can even work out cheaper than tracking your own car - especially if you've got something big/heavy/powerful that's going to chew through brakes and tyres like vanessa feltz through krispy kreme donuts.

Any specific queries please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Jonny
BaT

Mattt

16,661 posts

217 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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I believed Palmersport was the best of the 'usual' drive a supercar/racecar events - not cheap though.

was8v

1,927 posts

194 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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VXR Power Events track days.

I've done a few of them, you get to properly drive new VXRs (corsa, astra, insignia etc), with a (race driver) instructor who will push you to your limits(!)

You usually get 1.5hrs track time, there is a "bus stop" system in the pit. Take a car for 3 laps, come in then 5 mins at the bus stop gets you into the next car.

Theres other events through the day - karting / autocross etc all for around £100 squid.

By far the best value track day experience imho. The instructors really do push you and allow you to push the cars.

My friends did the VXR performance school in a roll cage, big braked and more powerful corsa, which was all afternoon and more intense and even better VFM - only £195!

You will have to be quick tho, I think they go on sale in February time and sell out fast http://buyvxrpowerevents.co.uk/

Edited by was8v on Monday 22 August 15:18

Porkie

2,378 posts

240 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Palmersport for me. Amazing value for money.

They do cheaper half day options as well.

mmm-five

11,227 posts

283 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
quotequote all
jonnyleroux said:
...especially if you've got something big/heavy/powerful that's going to chew through brakes and tyres like vanessa feltz through krispy kreme donuts.
I've actually got a 'relatively' svelte coupé now - although it still eats rear tyres as quickly as the M5 did wink

djmotorsport

479 posts

242 months

Monday 22nd August 2011
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Palmersport - Every time i've been, I come away knowing that it was money well spent. You get what you pay for.

DiscoColin

3,328 posts

213 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2011
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Or get yourself to the Nurburgring and get something for the day from Rent4Ring.de wink

JAM35F

1,267 posts

251 months

Wednesday 24th August 2011
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was8v said:
VXR Power Events track days.

I've done a few of them, you get to properly drive new VXRs (corsa, astra, insignia etc), with a (race driver) instructor who will push you to your limits(!)

You usually get 1.5hrs track time, there is a "bus stop" system in the pit. Take a car for 3 laps, come in then 5 mins at the bus stop gets you into the next car.

Theres other events through the day - karting / autocross etc all for around £100 squid.

By far the best value track day experience imho. The instructors really do push you and allow you to push the cars.

My friends did the VXR performance school in a roll cage, big braked and more powerful corsa, which was all afternoon and more intense and even better VFM - only £195!

You will have to be quick tho, I think they go on sale in February time and sell out fast http://buyvxrpowerevents.co.uk/

Edited by was8v on Monday 22 August 15:18
The VXR Performance school looks superb value for money, only £195 for a whole day including 3.5 hours 1-1 tuition on track before an afternoon of karting etc. I'd snap up a place if any dates this year were still available.

I'm looking to do a track day this year but don't have a suitable car at the mo, can anyone recomend anything else that is good value, I don't want an 'experience' drive. Earlier this year I had one hours tuition in an MSV car at bedford, was great and I may do another but its £250 for one hour which is steep so wanted to know if there is anything else to consider before taking the plunge with MSV again.


onemorelap

689 posts

230 months

Thursday 25th August 2011
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JAM35F said:
The VXR Performance school looks superb value for money, only £195 for a whole day including 3.5 hours 1-1 tuition on track before an afternoon of karting etc. I'd snap up a place if any dates this year were still available.

I'm looking to do a track day this year but don't have a suitable car at the mo, can anyone recomend anything else that is good value, I don't want an 'experience' drive. Earlier this year I had one hours tuition in an MSV car at bedford, was great and I may do another but its £250 for one hour which is steep so wanted to know if there is anything else to consider before taking the plunge with MSV again.
I did a supercar lifestyle experience at the weekend at MIRA.
For approx £135 incl insurance i got three three lap sessions with an instructor and a couple of hot laps in a GT3 Ascari with Mike Wilds.

Cars available on the day were a DB9, XKR, TVR Sagaris, BMW M3, Porsche GT3 by Oakley and if memory serves correct an F430 if you had paid extra. There was also an Atom which wasn't circulating when i was there.

The experience was sold as a "taster" day and there was a bit of a sit down where you were told all about the company to see if you were interested in joining as a member. There wasn't too much of a hard sell and I didn't really mind this part of the morning as i felt that i had got good value for money from the experience.

I did the DB9 once and the GT3 twice and the GT3 was a great experience, especially trying to learn to use the sequential box properly. The instructor was very good and he measured up my level of experience and really let me have a go, well to my limits at least.............

Ascari was a decent way to end the experience and it really gave me an appreciation of how much i would need to learn to get anywhere near driving the thing properly and also the kind of forces these cars generate.

Having done plenty of Trackdays, a couple of experience days where revs are regimented and a couple of palmer sport days i would say this was more of a middle ground between the two in that if they felt you were capable of having a go then have a go, if you werent then have a bit of a go and if you just wanted to say you had driven the car then i think they were probably quite happy to let you pootle round.




Stig

11,817 posts

283 months

Thursday 25th August 2011
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For a 'proper' drive to your own limits (not someone elses) day, Bookatrack caterhams - without question.

Highly recommend Jonny and the BaT team. Cars are well prepped and if you have issues, they'll just put you in another one.

tom-p

111 posts

192 months

Sunday 28th August 2011
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Again I would say best value ate the caterhams from book a track I have used them many times.

I recently also hired an atom from atomhire.com that was really good but does cost a bit more if your budget can stretch to it

cirvy

2,329 posts

262 months

Sunday 11th September 2011
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Been looking into this as a potential gift for a family member, & I'm really struggling to find the right experience.

What I want is something more than the £199 for 3 laps in a Lambo at an airfield, but not something as focused as a day Caterham hire.

What would be ideal would be a variety of cars for a full day at a proper circuit, all with a bit of tuition thrown in.

Anyone know of any options out there?

braddo

10,399 posts

187 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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It's still hiring a car at a track day, but Javelin track days hire out MX5s and E30 BMW for half days and whole days. Flinging a MX5 around for a morning ought to be pretty decent fun.

Dennis99

308 posts

162 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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cirvy said:
Been looking into this as a potential gift for a family member, & I'm really struggling to find the right experience.

What I want is something more than the £199 for 3 laps in a Lambo at an airfield, but not something as focused as a day Caterham hire.

What would be ideal would be a variety of cars for a full day at a proper circuit, all with a bit of tuition thrown in.

Anyone know of any options out there?
How about?

http://www.palmersport.com/martin-brundle.aspx

Deano997

69 posts

167 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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Hi,
I have done both the Palmersport and used Johnny several times for Caterham hire. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by both. Palmersport are brilliant and you can see why its the best of its kind. There is a range of cars and you tend to get about 6 laps in each. Its brilliantly organised and the day flies by. Johnnys Caterhams are in a different market and in my opinion in a different league. You arrive and at 9.30 & he hands you the keys and basically says bring it back at 5pm (except for refueling) You really can drive the car however you want as you are on your own with no instructor sat next to you. As the car seats 2 you basically 1/2 the advertised cost which is not bad value. Obviously you get far more driving time with the Caterhams than at Palmersport but both are excellent.

spyderman8

1,748 posts

155 months

Thursday 15th September 2011
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I've been renting this race-prep'd Boxster from local Porsche indy RPM for £700 for an evening - a full day I think is £1200. This is on top of the track day fee. There are no additional costs, but I have to pre-authorise payment on my card for the insurance excess.


RPM Boxster at Silverstone

I've seen Elise rental for similar prices.

DMC2

1,828 posts

210 months

Thursday 15th September 2011
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Another vote for BookaTrack's Caterham's, by far the best value track day. Better value for me than owning a track orientated car by a long way.

D

User33678888

1,141 posts

136 months

Sunday 27th January 2013
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Has anyone ever taken a standard hire car on track? Perhaps a Zipcar?